In the Eyes of a Child
by Chi Chi1
Summary: Kuririn and a young Marron talk a walk in the park, and he reflects on his life and his relationship with Juuhachi-gou


In the Eyes of a Child  
  
  
  
  
  
Large black eyes stared into mine; half the size of her entire face, they were far more expressive than any eyes I had ever seen in the course of my life. They held beauty of her mother in them, fringed with long, perfect lashes and shining with charm, but also the innocence and caring attitude of me. And that's really what she was. A tiny, perfect combination of my wife and I. Fate had taken the best parts of her and I and assembled them into our daughter. She would one day become more than anything her mother and I could have dreamed to become, because in those beautiful eyes of hers was a soul that had the power to do anything. She was young, perhaps too young to make a difference yet, but I could still see the strength and the potential sparkling within her. Her eyes flicked down to the ground, staring at the cracks in the sidewalk and the blades of bright green grass that poked through them with a puzzled expression on her tiny, pouting mouth. She pointed to a blade of grass with a chubby finger in obvious excitement and tugged on my hand, signaling that I should crouch beside her to examine the sidewalk.  
  
"La-lee-dug." She informed me, gently brushing the insect off of the grass and into her palm. It squirmed in fright at first, flapping its red wings briefly before lying still in her sweaty hand. A delighted grin spread across her round face as she gazed adoringly at the bug, holding out her hands for me to see.  
  
I smiled down at her happy expression and softly picked her up off the ground and held her in my arms, marching toward our destination of the day: the sandbox. "Hai, Marron-chan. A ladybug."  
  
Her mother had thought it would be best if we didn't accompany her on her shopping trip today. Marron was not exactly ready for an entire day of walking around a mall and watching her mother trying on clothes. Though she cares about our daughter very much, Juuhachi is a vigorous shopper and would most likely forget about the little girl at some point. As for me, I would rather not go shopping with my wife either, though I highly enjoy seeing her parade around in those sexy new outfits. She shoved us out of the door that morning with a kiss on Marron's cheek and an affectionate pat on my newly grown hair. There was nothing more than that, but nothing less either. Juuhachi isn't a very affectionate, emotional woman, though sometimes she surprises me and does something a little out of character. I am still getting to know her really, because she protects so much of herself behind that expressionless barrier. I do know that there is more to her than a beautiful face; beyond her exquisite good looks is a heart that is equally as attractive. When she first came into my life, I could scarcely believe that it was me she wanted. After all, I am not the best looking man on Earth --- anyone could see that. Most of the time, it feels like I've won the lottery. I wouldn't trade my wife for anything in the world, but sometimes I wonder if she is blind.  
  
Marron begins to squirm in my arms as we near the sandbox, as if she cannot contain the pure excitement and joy of romping around in the dirt. I gently set her on the ground and watched her toddle over to the sand, stretching her arms out as if she were longing to hug it. I noticed from my more-than-sharp vision that the ladybug was still clutched in her chubby hand, which she was taking care not to squeeze too hard. She plopped down into the golden sand, creating a small dust cloud and opened her palm, setting the ladybug in the sand with the care and gentleness that only a child could use. The ladybug wandered around in this new vast desert for only a moment before Marron set a bucket over it, shading it from the sun and preventing it from escape. She then turned her back on the insect and began to play with the sand, shoveling it painstakingly into a small teacup set that another girl in the sandbox had been playing with before. The owner of the tea set turned to find Marron playing with it and promptly bursted into tears until my daughter sweetly returned the tea cups, a sloppy grin on her chubby face.  
  
I could only hope, that as a parent, I have instilled these values in her. The value of sharing, or giving to one another and expecting nothing in return. For years, I so unselfishly lived my life, always helping anyone that I could, out of the goodness of my heart. And now, years later, it has finally paid off. I have the most luscious, gorgeous, sexy woman on the entire planet to sleep next to every night, and she has given me this beautiful sweet little daughter, who at the moment, was playing peek-a-boo with the ladybug under the bucket.  
  
With a grin, I watched her. Out of the many parents around the playground, I was the only one who was staring at my child with such love and adoration. I don't think that anyone else here is realizing how absolutely precious their children really are. They read books or newspapers, glancing up every few minutes to reassure themselves that their child is still there, but they don't seem to appreciate their sweet innocence. How I envy those parents. I cannot look at Marron without my heart melting and wanting to hug her so much that my arms ache. Even now, with her ponytails askew on her head, flopping about in bright pink bows, with stray strands falling into her large eyes. Her tiny mouth is formed into a content mask of joy as she shovels sand, letting it slip through her pudgy fingers in a rush of golden sparkles. With great care, she lifted a hand full of sand and poured it onto the top of her head, forming a small sand dune on her between the pink bows in her hair.  
  
I quickly stood up from my seat on a nearby bench and shook my finger at her, explaining that getting sand all over your head was a no-no. She beckoned for me to pick her up and I obliged gladly, scooping her up in an armful of sand and giggles. Frowning slightly, I brushed the top of her head off, trying to get rid of the evidence of sand in her golden hair and she squealed with joy, thinking that I was tickling her. I cradled her in the crook of my arm and she griped onto my shoulder and neck with tiny little hands that caused my heart to melt into a gooey puddle in the center of my chest. We started to walk away from the sandbox when, urgently, she tugged at my shirt and I could see tears beginning to well up in her large eyes.  
  
"La-lee-dug! La-lee-dug!" She cried, pointing back at the turned over bucket in the sand, where the ladybug was still trapped. I turned around and placed her in the sand again, gently, and she tipped over the bucket and scooped the ladybug into her small hands, smiling as it crawled over them. She watched it with wide, unblinking eyes, bringing her face so close to it that if she breathed in to hard, she'd suck it right into her mouth.  
  
The ladybug's movements were slow and dizzy now; maybe it has had a little too much excitement for the day. Marron seems so smitten with it though, that I believe it would break her heart to let it go. I could tell from that sweet little face of hers that she had every intention of taking that ladybug home and keeping it under her pillow or something equally as crazy. But if I want to teach her the value of life, of living things, then I have to start now, with the simplest things. The insect would simply not survive if she kept it. I bent my knees until I was down at her level and sat on my heels, balancing awkwardly in the sand. I turned her chin to face me.  
  
"Marron-chan. We have to let the ladybug go." I stated solemnly, wishing against everything that I didn't have to do this. She would never understand now. Would not be able to fathom why I was taking her new friend away from her. The value of all life is yet still an enigma to her.  
  
Her face crumpled slightly, and she stared down at it, wisps of pale hair falling into her huge eyes. "Why?" she inquired in a barely audible voice, with tears forming at the bottom of her eyes.  
  
I thought for a moment.  
  
"Marron, you love your mother, right?" I asked after coming to the perfect solution. She nodded empathetically, and a faint smile touched her lips. "Would you be sad if someone took her away from you?"  
  
"Hai." She softly mumbled, fat tears rolling down her rosy cheeks as she stared at the insect, wandering in dizzy circles around her palm.  
  
I gently nudged the ladybug in her hands, and it flapped its wings slightly, still frightened and confused. "Well, this ladybug is a mother too, just like Mama. And I bet right now, her children are crying because they miss her."  
  
"La-lee-dug babies?"  
  
"Hai. And that," I pointed at the ladybug. "is their mother. Do you want to make the ladybug babies happy?"  
  
She nodded and bravely wiped the tears away from her cheeks. "Hai."  
  
"Then put the ladybug back in the grass where you found it so it can go find its babies." I commanded gently, and patted the top of her head affectionately.  
  
She did as she was told, crouching down to eyelevel with the grass and whispering goodbye to the ladybug as it scampered away as fast as it's legs could carry it. Her face was tragic; her eyes welled up with tears and her mouth drawn into a huge frown. I knew that to most, it would be easy to let go of that insect; after all, it *is* just a bug. In the eyes of a child though, it is so much more than that. A ladybug could be a life-long companion and a friend to talk to, even if they could never talk back. It was situations like these that made life so hard for children: letting go.  
  
Marron waved sadly until she couldn't make out its bright red wings anymore, then looked up at me, stretching her arms out to be picked up. I scooped her up into my arms again, and hugged her close to me, glad that I had a daughter who was so kind and so smart. I am truly blessed to have her; and blessed to have her mother as well. They are the best things in my life; the best thing that ever happened to me in the entire course of my simple existence. And I know, staring at her now, that I will never take this gift for granted, for some things are just far too precious and too special to ever let go of. 


End file.
